Everlyn
I felt as if I were caught in a dream, yet it was a nightmare.
When Zephyr started the history of the Prowlers, I had hoped he wouldn’t reveal that they were involved in illegal activities.
When he did, I prayed they wouldn’t be ones that were too monstrous, such as human trafficking, hard drug trafficking, assassins for hire, and things along those lines.
Deep down, I’d suspected they weren’t totally clean.
A lot of MCs weren’t. And his confession that they cremated bodies for those who asked had been hard for me.
I kept wondering what their criteria were for doing it.
However, that was soon pushed to the back of my mind when he started telling the tale of the Vikings who massacred the American Indian tribe.
Yes, as a American Indian on my mom’s side, it was upsetting to hear.
But that wasn’t the only reason or the biggest one.
Disbelief overtook me when I realized I knew the story he was telling.
All of it, including what the shaman had cursed them with.
I heard Zephyr, who appeared shattered, ask me again how I knew.
I took a drink of my water before I could tell him.
“That night, a few of the natives who were rescued remained in the woods, watching. They saw what happened. They heard what their shaman said. They vowed to remember and pass it down to their descendants so it would never be forgotten. Tell me, how many did you rescue that night? Who was your first?”
He hesitated a moment before answering. “I saved seven. It started when I caught one of the ones following Aksel’s orders, attacking a young woman.
He was attempting to rape her. Afterward, he might’ve enslaved or killed her.
I couldn’t let him. There was no one around, so I raced up on him, while she lay on the ground underneath him as he tore her clothing.
He had no idea I was coming for him. I buried my seax in the base of his neck.
He fell on top of her. I rolled him off and I—”
“You slit his throat for good measure. She thought you did it to take his place, to have her for yourself, but you gestured and urged her to run and hide. It took a little work to get her to understand, but when she did, she ran into the woods. Then, you crept around the village, helping more escape when it was safe to do so.”
“Everlyn, how the fuck do you know this!?” he shouted, coming to his feet. His entire body shook. A wildness was in his eyes, yet I wasn’t afraid of him. I should be, but I wasn’t.
“Her name was Sokanon, which is Algonquin for rain. I know because she passed her story down from mother to daughter. And when there was no daughter, to a daughter-in-law or niece. That has continued for almost nine hundred years until I became the keeper of the story. My mother told me. Sokanon was my grandmother, thirteen times removed.”
Zephyr cried out and fell to his knees. His head hung, and I watched his body shake.
It took several beats for me to realize he was crying.
My heart hurt. I couldn’t hold back. I dropped down next to him and wrapped my arms around him.
He stiffened at first, then relaxed. I rocked him and whispered soothing words in his ear.
I didn’t know how long we remained like that until the tears dried for both of us, and our bodies grew sore and stiff. Slowly, he raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot and wet. His face was haggard. Zephyr’s hand came up to caress my face reverently.
“I can’t believe this. I can’t believe that you’re her family. I often wondered if she truly escaped and if she went on to have a happy life. She had a husband and children.” His voice was so hoarse that it was hard to understand him.
“She did, and she made sure to remember the white barbarian who saved her. Sokanon told of how there were more Vikings who resisted killing and raping. Some were killed for it. Others snuck and did it as you did. I have a question. Are all of you in the Asgard chapter part of that night? Are there more?”
“Yes, we are all from that fateful night. We were the ones who not only secretly defied Aksel that night, but years later, when we had found a way to escape his rule, we left. It took a long time because we had to wait, watch, and grow strong. As soon as we were, we broke away. We wanted to kill them, but we were all immortal. Aksel hates us for what he sees as betrayal.”
As he spoke, Zephyr got unsteadily to his feet, taking me with him. We took a few steps and dropped onto the couch.
“Knowing everything you know now, if you could go back, would you have refused to have gone with Aksel in the first place?” I asked.
“We didn’t have a choice. But even if we had, I would’ve still gone, knowing what I now know.” Zephyr said firmly, confidently.
“Why?”
“Because it brought me you, even if it was only for a short time. I found true love because of it. I’m not saying that to make you feel guilty.
I know that even if you could overlook the way the club makes a living and the whole immortality thing, you can’t forgive what my people did to yours. And I don’t blame you.”
As I let his words sink in, I thought of the fantastic tale he told, the way he had been with me these past two months, and the love I felt for him; something dawned on me.
Despite all of it, I loved him, and I wanted to be with him.
And assuming this was true love, and my heart told me it was for both of us, that meant I would theoretically become as he was.
We could have as many years together as we want.
And if that were true, we would have time to make changes.
“Tell me, why do your eyes glow the way they did tonight? Is it part of your immortality?” I asked as it popped into my head.
“We don’t believe it is. Not everyone who changed does it.
Aksel and those who follow him don’t. Only those who have broken away, the defenders, have.
We’ve become what we call ulfhednar, wolf-hides.
It’s an elite warrior class of berserkers.
We channel the wolf rather than a bear in battle, which is what a regular berserker does.
When our battle instincts are high, our eyes glow, and we can heighten other senses.
It’s how I was able to find you so quickly when you ran. ”
“Wow, that’s amazing. I clearly need to study up on Viking lore, religion, and more. So that makes you how old?”
“I’m nine hundred twenty-six years old.”
I began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Zephyr asked.
“You’re such a cradle robber!”
He laughed for a moment, then sobered. “I know that I have no right to ask this, but I’ve got to ask. Will you please not expose my club to the authorities?”
I thought over what he asked. I opened my mouth to answer, but I was prevented by the loud pounding on the cabin door. I jumped. He came to his feet and stepped in front of me.
“Zephyr, we need to talk. Now. It can’t wait,” Pirate shouted from the other side.
I heard Zephyr’s low, rumbling growl. I touched his arm.
“Let them in. It sounds urgent.”
His face showed how torn he was, but finally, he answered Pirate. “Come in.”
When the door opened, it wasn’t only Pirate who entered. It was the whole club. My hand clutched Zephyr’s arm hard. He turned and brought me under his shoulder. I went without a struggle.
And in the middle of the crowd came Raider. He was walking on his own. He was a tad pale, and he moved gingerly, but that was all. He nodded to both of us.
“Sorry for interrupting. We wouldn’t have if it weren’t important. Fenrir and Berserker have returned. They brought a surprise.”
His words made me recall what I overheard. Berserker and Fenrir had been sent to see if they could find who had shot at us and hurt Raider. Zephyr’s body tensed.
“Where are they? Who did it? The Wayward Wanderers?” My man rattled off.
“We’re about to find out, and I wanted to know if you want to go with us or stay here. Either way is fine with us. We know you have a lot to discuss,” Raider stated, then his gaze landed on me.
“Everlyn, I’m so sorry that we put you in danger and that we scared you tonight. I assume Z has told you what we are by now. I swear none of us would hurt you.”
“He has shared everything, or at least most of it. He wants to be there when you speak to the person you caught. And so do I.”
My response stunned them. I saw it on their faces. They hadn’t expected that.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea. You’ve had enough stress and shocks for one night, I think—”
I cut Harbinger off. “Don’t let my lapse earlier make you think I’m weak. I’m not. And I was shot at, just like all of you were. You said I was a part of this club. I’m Zephyr’s shieldmaiden. So, is that no longer true?” I pushed.
The group exchanged surprised looks. Even Zephyr raised an eyebrow.
“Are you sure? Does this mean you aren’t leaving me?” My Viking asked, disbelief clear in his voice.
“It means that I’m willing to wait and see. I need to learn more about the club, but I’m willing to try. Can you live with that?” I asked.
His answer was to crush me to him and say, “Fuck yeah, I can.”
I closed my eyes and let the sounds of the club’s cautiously optimistic words sink in.